1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a user friendly keyboard, for use with a computer or any other device capable of providing word processing services, having command keys arranged to allow for faster activation of common word processing functions. In addition, the letter keys are arranged to promote easier learning and faster typing.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Since the invention of the typewriter, there have been various proposals concerning different key arrangements. The first key arrangements had the letter keys placed in alphabetical order. Regardless of the arrangement of the keys, when a key was pressed in such an earlier typewriter, a metal hammer would be lifted to strike a ribbon which left an image on the paper. If the typist was too quick, multiple hammers would be positioned in a strike zone at the same time and collide, thus jamming. Jamming would force the typist to manually separate the lodged hammers.
The QWERTY keyboard, the industry standard, was designed to eliminate this problem. QWERTY located the most commonly used letters away from the home row (where the fingers rest) to slow the typist down, thus the hammers no longer jammed. The result? The QWERTY keyboard jams the fingers rather than the hammers. In typing on a QWERTY keyboard, the fingers are required to travel much longer distances than the fingers would be required to do if the most common letters were placed on the home row of keys. This extra flexing of the fingers greatly reduces typing speed, increases injury, and limits use by certain disabled typists. Plus, the disarray of the keys themselves (the lack of a grid pattern) forces the fingers into awkward positions which further exacerbates typing fluidity. In QWERTY, the keys that are located under the two strongest fingers, i.e., the index and middle fingers, are among the least often used keys. In addition, by moving the keys out of their alphabetical format made learning to type frustratingly slow because of the length of time needed to master the placement of the keys. This lack of pattern, alphabetical or otherwise, is very intimidating for the beginner typist. Thus, typists have been unnecessarily burdened with an inefficient keyboard.
The QWERTY keyboard worked well when typewriters used hammers to strike platens. However, the majority of today's keyboards do not use hammers, but are associated with a computing source and a printer. When keys are pressed, the hardware within the computer determines which symbol should be displayed and later printed on the page, without any of the mechanical movements associated with traditional typewriters. When QWERTY keyboards are used, today's typists are slowed down just as the first users of the QWERTY keyboard were. Certainly, the modern typist should be able to type without being slowed down by the physical arrangement of the keys. But, because the majority of the keyboards being used are of the QWERTY type, there is an unnecessary impediment to fast typing.
Various keyboards have been developed to eliminate the problems associated with the QWERTY keyboard. That is, a number of keyboard systems have been invented which utilize a variation of the QWERTY keyboard. Most keyboard alterations generally represent reorganizations of the letter keys, but retain the basic function keys, i.e., space-bar, enter, shift, delete and tab keys, in their traditional positions. For instance, it has been proposed in the art to position the most commonly used keys in the center or home row on the keyboard in order to enhance potential typing speeds. Unfortunately, the letters have not been arranged in a most advantageous manner. It has also been proposed to allow a keyboard user to select and program the letter keys into different configurations, while maintaining the positions of the basic function keys. This is a problem because, as discussed above, the shift and enter keys are used very often and are located closest to the weakest fingers. Also, in order to get into position to press the shift and enter keys, the correct finger must travel a great distance across the keyboard, which slows down any typing.
When the traditional keyboards are used for word processing, many of the commands must be selected by a menu system or by a series of keys. Again, this restriction also decelerates the typing speed. For example, with the common word processing applications and the standard QWERTY computer keyboards, in order to insert page numbers, the user is often required to select the correct listing from a menu and then find the correct selection which activates the page numbering function. Other simple functions, such as switching from paragraph text to block text, cannot be executed via one simple keystroke. Instead, the user must go through several steps for the desired result.
There are also shortcuts designed to save a step, but the typist must remember the proper sequence of each particular shortcut. In general, it is essentially considered that each common command sequence which requires more than one simple keystroke is an unnecessary expenditure of typing time especially when the same functions are selected repeatedly.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for an enhanced keyboard arrangement which will enable the user to type and process words more quickly, efficiently, and effortlessly. More specifically, there exists a need for a user friendly keyboard wherein the order of the letter keys are optimized and a number of function keys are provided to easily perform a typing task employing the most common word processing commands and can be easily understood by the beginner. This is imperative given the demands in today's society to be computer literate.